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Vanilla -post extract

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Grod1

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Feb 3, 2015
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Hey guys im planing a 10 gallon vanilla stout. i have plans to make this a vanilla bomb. i want it to taste like vanilla extract in stout form. but not taste like" "Wow, someone put vanilla extract in this beer.""The plan is to use cheap vanilla beans for mash/boil and premium grades added in primary and again in secondary.
while searching the web i decided on this deal - 50 Madagascar Bourbon Gourmet Vanilla Beans GRADE B 5~7" 65$

but after searching i found this post fermented vanilla bean
30$ for a pound of dried ground beans that were all ready extracted.

its used in fancy soap and as a food garnish.
"ORGANIC GROUND CULINARY GRADE VANILLA BEANS"
"Our ground vanilla beans have only been used once before making ground vanilla, unlike some manufacturers which will use their beans twice or more, so they still have a wonderful aroma! "

what do you guys think about throwing a whole pound into the mash?
stuck sparge? to much tannin(?) please share your thoughts.
anyone think its as good as sand?

1_lb_Gourmet_Vanilla_Beans.jpg
 
Vanilla beans go a long way! I soak my beans in vodka and the add it to the beer when it tastes how I want.

I have added the beans in a "dry hop" method also and the flavor came through better in the vodka.

I add 2-3 beans into 4-6 oz of vodka and let it sit at least 3 weeks.
 
Vanilla character is ephemeral enough without subjecting it to boiling wort.
I would use whatever amount post-fermentation...

Cheers!
 
cool i will probably add paste in primary with some whole beans in secondary.
Anyone have any thoughts on the post extracted beans? specifically for the mash.
 
Dont waste your money on adding vanilla to the mash, all the character will be boiled off.
 
cool so thats 3 people that wouldn't even consider it. I value all of your opinions and i appreciate you all taking time to answer. Fortunately for me i dont have to buy anything for this brew but i volunteered to get extra vanilla for the mash. ( i take turns with a friend buying recipes, besides i get almost all grain, hops, and yeast for free.)
so its either buy the pound for 30$
or 50 Madagascar Bourbon Gourmet Vanilla Beans GRADE B for 65$

if i had to buy this beer i would 100% take all of your advice and not "waste" any money.But if you all were in my situation which of the two options would you go with?

so i got an e-mail back from the company
"they still have some flavor and smell left. I would say boiling would bring out more flavor. If you can't boil it, just infusing would give you some more flavor. You are not going to get intense flavor though as with vanilla beans. "
 
Personally I'd go with neither, just buy the beans you'll need at the time of use. There is no way you'll need anywhere near 50 beans for 10 gallons, I'd bet you'll use somewhere closer to 8 or 9 if you really want a vanilla bomb, I use 2-3 in 5 gallons of coffee blonde and the vanilla is still prominant. A trick is split the pods scrape out the insides and soak the pods and the insides in a good(ish) bourbon for a few days to help extract the flavors. Then add all of the liquid and solid into the keg (hang a hop bag from the lid to hold the solids so you don't plug the diptube), if you keg, or the fermenter after the krausen drops (I leave them in for about 1-2 weeks).

Most people don't put flavoring ingredients (vanilla, fruit, etc) into the kettle for two reasons, the boil and fermentation. The 60-90 minute boil will both strip away the essential oils that you want from the ingredients via steam as well as extract some bitterness from the material. While primary fermentation is off gassing, there will be a loss of the compounds that give you the flavor/aroma from the specialty ingredient.
 
okay so i just wanted to comment on this product now that i have used it and im more familiar with how it works. long story short is amazing!It is a one dimensional vanilla flavor.But a great bang for the buck.I will be buying atleast another 2 more pounds.
I hate IPAs but i can see this being the perfect addition for the mash/boil of a lactose IPA.
So 100% add grade A vanilla for primary/secondary. but i highly recommend trying this stuff ii]n the mash/boil if you want a little extra vanilla for a good price.
 
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